Sony breaking cover first: beneficial or detrimental?

[Dodece]

@Chark

No you presented a rumor as supporting evidence for a conjecture. If you want to proffer up a scenario. Then just say how about this scenario. Presenting the allusion to a rumor in your context you create a explicit meaning. That you are arguing for the validity of those rumors, and no discounting them doesn't stifle debate, because they aren't worthy of debate. You converted a hypothetical supposition into a supported fact, and in doing so widened the scope beyond what is reasonably testable. I am not going to waste time litigating a rumor if you consider it supporting evidence.

Now I gather you are getting off the rumor train, and want to discuss it as purely a hypothetical. In that you are positing that Sony may have a hardware or software advantage that they can take credit for in advance of their rivals. Now that is something that is hypothetically testable. Would that have a positive enough effect to justify announcing in February. I would have to say no. The hardware advantage will not exist if it does until the other player unveils. While consumers on the whole aren't out looking to reward the apparent software innovator if their product doesn't arrive to market much sooner.

The reduced media coverage, and the added cost of operating in two events. Would mean that the whole situation would have to be far less productive then had Sony just showed in tandem with Microsoft. Especially if your theory were to hold merit, because Sony would actually eclipse Microsoft. All of a day later may as well be the same instant, and nobody would accuse either side of copying the other in any event. They probably won't do that now seeing as the announcements are going to be less then four months apart. Others have said it. They don't have time to copy each other, and launch in the same year.

To me the advantage is tenuous or counter productive. Unless Sony can exploit the early unveiling with a equally early launch of their hardware. A interesting notion, but one I have a hard time seeing as plausible. If there is another real advantage to this you have to show it to me. To me the strangest thing is there still isn't the need for a separate event even if they want to get a jump on Microsoft. The Game Developers Conference is less then two months away, but the strangest thing is from what I can tell Sony isn't even going to be there.

Anyway it is midnight and I have to get some sleep.